A blog devoted to my interests which include anarchism and social movements, history, archeology, and anything else I choose to write about.

Monday, December 02, 2013

Climate Change and Pascal's Wager

If anthropogenic climate change exists and nothing is done to moderate it, you lose everything, you lose absolutely. (Some people claim human extinction, I wouldn't go so far, but it might be a ninety percent die-off) If, on the other hand, anthropogenic climate change is not true, and yet we have changed our life styles as if it were true, you only lose relatively. You only lose the "shop-till-you drop" three car, McMansion North American consumer life-style. (Many of us would see that as a gain and not a loss,)Therefore the better option is to consider anthropogenic climate change as real and act accordingly.

2 Comments:

Also I would like to point out how we go about controlling human effects on the climate is very important. It would be wrong to blame it on the greatest number of people, a Malthusian argument. Something must be done to curb wealthy and powerful who really are the problem.Roberto Bissio writes in The Bulletin of the Atomichttp://www.thebulletin.org/climate-food-and-biomass-energy Scientists

"the planet's poorest 1 billion people are responsible for only 3 percent of global carbon emissions. The 1.26 billion people whose countries belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development account for 42 percent of emissions. The rich, if they reduced their emissions by just 8 percent, could achieve more climate mitigation than the poor could achieve by reducing their emissions to zero. The rich could manage this 8 percent reduction by altering their lifestyles in barely noticeable ways."

Also I would like to point out how we go about controlling human effects on the climate is very important. It would be wrong to blame it on the greatest number of people, a Malthusian argument. Something must be done to curb wealthy and powerful who really are the problem.Roberto Bissio writes in The Bulletin of the Atomichttp://www.thebulletin.org/climate-food-and-biomass-energy Scientists

"the planet's poorest 1 billion people are responsible for only 3 percent of global carbon emissions. The 1.26 billion people whose countries belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development account for 42 percent of emissions. The rich, if they reduced their emissions by just 8 percent, could achieve more climate mitigation than the poor could achieve by reducing their emissions to zero. The rich could manage this 8 percent reduction by altering their lifestyles in barely noticeable ways."